Managing asbestos

During Global Asbestos Awareness Week (1–7 April), Sam Lord, HM Principal Specialist Inspector and Occupational Hygiene Technical Strategy Lead for Asbestos at The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) explains the legal duty to properly assess, manage, and monitor asbestos risks in non-domestic and multi-occupancy domestic premises

Asbestos was banned in the UK in 1999, but despite this, potential risks are still present in many buildings today. If you are responsible for maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings or multi-occupancy domestic premises, you have a legal duty to manage any asbestos in the building.

This includes factories, warehouses, offices and shops; and public buildings like hospitals, schools, premises used for religious worship, museums and libraries.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S IN YOUR BUILDING?

Any building built or refurbished before 2000 could contain asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Asbestos was widely used in construction between 1950 and 1980, and older premises may contain multiple ACMs in a variety of forms: spray coating, pipe lagging, insulating board, asbestos cement products such as profiled roof sheets and wall panels, floor coverings, and textured decorative coatings.

The risks are not static. As buildings age, ACMs can deteriorate and the law requires them to be monitored and managed actively to keep occupants safe. If you have incomplete historical records, or suspect materials have not been properly documented, now is the time to get it sorted.

THE LAW IS CLEAR

There is a legal duty to manage asbestos in non-domestic premises and multi-occupancy domestic premises. Failing to meet that duty can result in penalties ranging from fines to prison sentences. Consequences can extend far beyond the legal, including reputational damage, impact on staff morale, and the substantial human cost of preventable illnesses which are often fatal.

HSE inspectors can visit premises without warning to review the management of health and safety risks, with latest inspections having a particular emphasis on checking effective asbestos management.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

HSE sets out a clear framework for duty holders to find where the asbestos is, what condition it’s in and how it should be managed:

• Arrange for an asbestos survey (or review existing surveys)
• Make a register and assess the risk
• Write your asbestos management plan (AMP)
• Put your plan into action

Surveys are just the starting point. A clear up-to-date register and management plan is essential. These should not sit on a shelf as tick-box compliance documents, but function as practical, working tools. A robust register records inspections, tracks the condition and risk from ACMs and triggers prompt action if any deterioration is identified. Just as importantly, it ensures that anyone carrying out work on the building understands exactly where ACMs are located, so that the precautions required to work safely can be taken.

It is also important to remember that asbestos is often concealed beneath surfaces and within structural voids – for instance, under flooring, inside cavity walls and lift shafts. These hidden areas will require an intrusive refurbishment survey to identify any asbestos before work begins, to avoid accidental disturbance and exposure. If work begins and asbestos is discovered or suspected, stop work. If asbestos has been accidentally disturbed, it must be dealt with quickly and appropriately.

GOOD BUSINESS SENSE

Facilities management professionals face a demanding mix of regulatory, operational, and safety responsibilities when dealing with asbestos. The priorities are clear—accurate identification, ongoing monitoring, robust procedures, effective communication and relevant training.

There are challenges but proactive management and monitoring of asbestos is good business practice. Unexpected remediation costs and emergency responses are far more expensive and disruptive than planned, systematic management.

COSTLY CONSEQUENCES

The risk of working unsafely with asbestos is not just harmful to health, failing to comply with law can cost much more as this prosecution case illustrates.

A school and its maintenance contractor were fined after workers disturbed asbestos at the school while installing a new heating system. In the course of the work, ceiling tiles containing asbestos were disturbed, potentially exposing several people – including children, to asbestos fibres. The contractor and the school both failed to refer to the existing asbestos register and management plan to identify the presence of asbestos within the building.

As well as the financial penalty costing thousands of pounds, consider the negative publicity and the harm caused to people and communities as a result.

TRAINING AND AWARENESS

Ensuring that maintenance teams, contractors, and building occupants understand asbestos risks is essential to preventing accidental exposure. HSE offers training courses such as the Managing Asbestos in Buildings course which introduces the responsibilities of duty holders, relevant legislation, and the standards required to properly manage asbestos risks.

FREE GUIDANCE AND TEMPLATES

HSE provides comprehensive guidance at hse.gov.uk.

If asbestos has been accidentally disturbed, it must be dealt with quickly and appropriately. See Asbestos Essentials (em1) for step-by-step guidance and emergency procedures for accidental, unexpected releases of asbestos fibres.

FURTHER SUPPORT

HSE’s Asbestos & You and Asbestos Your Duty campaigns provide practical guidance for both tradespeople and those responsible for the maintenance and repair of non-domestic buildings.

You can also:

• Sign up to the HSE newsletter
• Listen to the Duty to Manage Asbestos in Buildings podcast

The message this Global Asbestos Awareness Week is straightforward: know your building, know your duty and act on both.